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| Alumna's gift honors parents' encouragement September 2006
Ann Thornburg has retired from an amazing career. She was the first UW-Eau Claire graduate to become a partner in one of the Big Eight international accounting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and she was the first woman elected to the firm's board of partners and principals. She credits her education at UW-Eau Claire with preparing her for the journey to the top of the accounting profession — an education she would never have received if it hadn't been for her parents' encouragement and a scholarship from the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. She believes it's important to extend that same encouragement and gift of opportunity to others and has committed $500,000 to establish an endowed Blugold Promise Scholarship in honor of her parents, Thomas and Mavis Gunderson. Her pledge includes a substantial annual gift that will establish the fund and provide generous annual scholarships. A significant commitment through her estate will complete the permanent endowment of the fund. Thornburg chose to support the Blugold Promise Scholarship program because it provides need-based scholarships to UW-Eau Claire freshmen who will receive a larger award their sophomore year provided they do well academically. She appreciates the goal of the Blugold Promise Scholarship Program, which seeks to support highly motivated scholars whose financial challenges could prevent them from attending or remaining in school despite academic success. "I am particularly interested in providing scholarships to students who are the first in their families to attend college and have limited finances," Thornburg said. "That was my own experience, and I know how difficult it can be for these students to consider attending college if financial resources are not available."
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